ALZHEIMER’S IMPACT ON THE BRAIN Me d i c a l I l lu s t r at i on B y B o na K i m E m or y Vi s u a l Me d i c a l E du c at i on Te a m
Damaged and dying nerve cells
Healthy nerve cells Preclinical
Alzheimer’s tissue in the brain has fewer nerve cells. Dead and dying nerve cells contain strands of proteins called tangles, which are a damaged form of the cell structure.
mild to moderate
Proteins (beta amyliod) clump tyogether between nerve cells and build up clusters called plaques. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not proven but scientists consider the plaques and tangles to
Tau tangles
be prime suspects.
Amyloid plaque
healthy brain vs. alzheimer’s
Severe
cerebral cortex shrinks ventricles enlarge hippocampus shrinks
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) BY THE NUMBERS AD is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of cases. Old age remains by far the greatest risk factor—more than a third of individuals 85 and older have AD.
More women than men have AD, mostly because they live longer.
AD afflicts 5.3 million in the U.S. and more than 30 million
(Average age of death in the U.S. for females is 81; males, 76.)
worldwide.
AD/dementia cases are predicted to more than double by 2030 (to 65.7 million) and triple by 2050
(to 115.4 million).
Winter 2016
17